A number of options exist for managing grass clippings produced by a lawnmower. One option is to collect the clippings in a bag or other container and remove the clippings. Bagging has the advantage of removing clippings from a lawn entirely, leaving a very clean-looking lawn. Bagging does require, however, time to empty the bag and dispose of the clippings. In addition, removing the clippings from the lawn can deprive the remaining grass of the benefit of the nutrients contained in the clippings (e.g., nitrogen, water). As a result, additional fertilizer treatments may be needed to account for the removal of these nutrients.
Another option is to discharge the grass clippings away from the lawnmower. This option requires less equipment (e.g., bagging system), and eliminates the need to empty bags. Rather, the clippings can just be left to fertilize the yard. If the grass clippings are relatively short, this option can provide aesthetically acceptable results, but if the clippings are too long, however, they can be considered unsightly when left on the lawn. Alternatively, the clippings can be collected after the fact, but such collection creates many of the same problems as bagging with regard to disposing of the clippings.
A third option is to mulch the clippings for reincorporation into the lawn, thereby eliminating the need to dispose of grass clippings. In addition, mulching can help to provide the soil with increased ground cover to hold moisture, and the mulched clippings can act as a fertilizer. There are also disadvantages, however, to mulching systems. For instance, mulching can require special blades or a specifically-designed housing shape. Also, if the grass is particularly tall, thick, or wet, mulching systems can put high strains on the lawnmower because of the high volume and/or high density of the clippings.
Because each of these options has distinct advantages and disadvantages, it is desirable for a lawnmower to be convertible between multiple modes to allow the operator to select the mode of operation best suited for a particular situation. Such convertible designs have been developed, but most designs require the attachment of separate components to use the lawnmower in a side or rear discharge mode (e.g., an attachable discharge chute) or in a mulching mode (e.g., a mulch plate or mulch plug). Thus, an operator needs to remove one accessory and attach another to change operating modes. Other designs use movable flaps to alternately block and unblock a discharge opening, but these designs can be less effective at performing the desired functions, whether bagging, mulching, or side discharge (including actual left or right side discharge or rear discharge), than components that are dedicated to the particular mode of operation. Accordingly, no current design allows for an easy, convenient, and effective mechanism for changing a lawnmower between operating modes.